Debadging
Encyclopedia
Sleeper (car)
A sleeper or Q-car is a car that has high performance and an unassuming exterior. Sleeper cars are termed such because their exterior looks little or no different from a standard or economy-class car. In some cases the car appears worse due to seeming neglect on the owner's part, typically...
may be debadged to disguise any subtle evidence of high-performance. Many enthusiasts also believe that debadging a vehicle makes it easier to clean, as manufacturer badges are notorious for trapping wax, which is difficult to remove from small crevices. While most modern vehicle badging is attached with adhesive and can be easily removed, some emblems require varying degrees of bodywork to fill in voids and mounting holes left behind.
Debadging can also refer to the process of removing the car manufacturer's logo from the front grille
Grille
A grille or grill is an opening of several slits side by side in a wall or metal sheet or other barrier, usually to let air or water enter and/or leave but keep larger objects including people and animals in or out.-Spelling:In the United States, "grille" is used to differentiate the automotive...
. The result is a car widely considered to appeal more to car enthusiasts. The grill is often replaced by a plain grille, a home made item made from drawknobs, a grille from another make and model of car altogether or one showing the more subtle logo of an aftermarket manufacturer such as ABT
Abt Sportsline
Abt Sportsline is a motor racing and auto tuning company based in Kempten im Allgäu, Germany. Abt mainly deals with Audi, and the related primary Volkswagen Group brands - Volkswagen, Škoda, and SEAT.-History:...
, Irmscher
Irmscher
Irmscher Automobilbau GmbH & Co. KG is a German automobile tuning and manufacturing company specialising in Opel and recently Peugeot cars....
or Kamei. This is a common customising technique on leadsleds and kustom
Kustom (cars)
Kustoms are modified cars from the 1930s to the early 1960s, done in the customizing styles of that time period. The usage of a "K" for "Kustom" rather than a "C", is believed to have originated with George Barris.-Styling:...
s, which dates back to the 1940s. For example, a Vauxhall Astra
Vauxhall Astra
Astra is a model name which has been used by Vauxhall, the British subsidiary of General Motors , on their small family car ranges since 1979. Astras are technically essentially identical with similar vehicles offered by GM's German subsidiary Opel in most other European countries...
could have a grille swapped in from a Saab or a Jaguar E-type
Jaguar E-type
The Jaguar E-Type or XK-E is a British automobile, manufactured by Jaguar between 1961 and 1975. Its combination of good looks, high performance, and competitive pricing established the marque as an icon of 1960s motoring...
and be shaved of all trim.